Head to Head Contrast: Bank of Marin Bancorp (NASDAQ:BMRC) vs. City Bank (OTCMKTS:CTBK)

Bank of Marin Bancorp (NASDAQ:BMRC) and City Bank (OTCMKTS:CTBK) are both finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, risk, institutional ownership, valuation, analyst recommendations and earnings.

Profitability

This table compares Bank of Marin Bancorp and City Bank’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Bank of Marin Bancorp	-18.58%	7.20%	0.78%
City Bank	N/A	N/A	N/A

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Bank of Marin Bancorp and City Bank, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Bank of Marin Bancorp	2	2	2	0	2.00
City Bank	0	0	0	0	0.00

Bank of Marin Bancorp presently has a consensus target price of $28.40, indicating a potential upside of 10.98%. Given Bank of Marin Bancorp’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe Bank of Marin Bancorp is more favorable than City Bank.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

52.3% of Bank of Marin Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. 5.7% of Bank of Marin Bancorp shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 37.5% of City Bank shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Volatility & Risk

Bank of Marin Bancorp has a beta of 0.82, indicating that its share price is 18% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, City Bank has a beta of -0.22, indicating that its share price is 122% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Bank of Marin Bancorp and City Bank”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Bank of Marin Bancorp	$163.98 million	2.53	-$35.67 million	($2.02)	-12.67
City Bank	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

City Bank has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Bank of Marin Bancorp.

Summary

Bank of Marin Bancorp beats City Bank on 8 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Bank of Marin Bancorp

Bank of Marin Bancorp operates as the holding company for Bank of Marin that provides a range of financial services primarily to small to medium-sized businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and commercial real estate investors in the United States. The company offers personal and business checking and savings accounts; and individual retirement, health savings, and demand deposit marketplace accounts, as well as time certificates of deposit, certificate of deposit account registry, and insured cash sweep services. It also provides commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, and consumer loans, as well as construction financing and home equity lines of credit. In addition, the company offers merchant and payroll services; commercial equipment leasing program; payment solutions; treasury management services; credit cards; and mobile deposit, remote deposit capture, automated clearing house, wire transfer, and image lockbox services. Further, it provides wealth management and trust services comprising customized investment portfolio management, financial planning, trust administration, estate settlement, and custody services, as well as 401(k) plan services; and automated teller machines, and telephone and digital banking services. The company was incorporated in 1989 and is headquartered in Novato, California.

About City Bank

As of April 17, 2010, City Bank was acquired by Whidbey Island Bank. City Bank offers commercial banking services. The company was incorporated in 1974 and is headquartered in Lynnwood, Washington.